Barnsley Market Charter Roll on display at Experience Barnsley
30th January 2017
A unique document, crucial to Barnsley’s past, will be on display in Experience Barnsley for the first time from Monday 30 January 2017.
The 13th century Charter Roll, recording Barnsley being granted a market, is a fascinating piece of the town’s history.
It is kindly on loan from the National Archives at Kew in London, and will be on display in the award winning museum in the Town Hall until the end of July.
It was in 1249 through the influence of Monk Bretton Priory, a charter for holding a market and fair in the town was obtained from King Henry III, whilst he was residing at Clarendon in Wiltshire, his favourite hunting location. The charter granted the town the right to hold a weekly market on Wednesdays, as well as an annual fair lasting four days. The charter is written in Medieval Latin, but full translations will be available to museum visitors.
Cllr Roy Miller, Cabinet Spokesperson for Place, said: “The market is such an important part of Barnsley and its history. At a time when the present market and town centre are going through a major re-development, we are delighted to be loaning this iconic document from the National Archives. Very few people in Barnsley will ever have seen the Charter Roll, so it provides a wonderful opportunity to take a look at the towns as it was then. The medieval handwriting isn’t the easiest to read, but most people should be able to spot the 13th century spelling of Barnsley. It’s written as ‘Bernesley’.
For more information about the document visit www.experience-barnsley.com
